From the French-Chinese co-production of "Nightingale" (the creator talks)

Source: People's Daily

My film Nightingale, which I shot in China, has been released for 8 years. Nowadays, when this film is mentioned, some people think of the beautiful scenery of Guangxi in China, some people think of the tortuous journey of grandfather and granddaughter, and some people think of the 18-year-old "old" nightingale... Looking back on the preparation and filming process of this film, I still have mixed feelings, both incredible and full of touching nostalgia. This trip to China brought me the most beautiful and unforgettable memories, I established a deep emotional connection with China, and I have more in-depth thinking about French-Chinese co-production films and film and television creations.

I fell in love with China because I made a movie

"You're too old!" When I tell my friends that I want to learn Chinese, they say so. In fact, when I received an invitation from a Chinese producer to cooperate, I was in a similar mood to my friends. French culture and Chinese culture are so different that after deciding to make this film, I made up my mind to abandon preconceived notions and be completely immersed in the strange and fascinating Chinese culture with a humble attitude.

For me, shooting movies in China and learning the local language is the basis for a smooth work and a courtesy. I had a lot of fun in the process of learning Chinese, and I learned more about Chinese culture and people. I insist on writing a diary in Hanyu Pinyin every day, although the content I learned is very limited, and I have forgotten a lot over time, but I have always liked Chinese, and when I meet Chinese friends, I am very willing to communicate with them in some short Chinese sentences, which has become the best way for us to quickly close our relationship.

Before writing the script for Nightingale, I deliberately lived in China for a year, constantly observing, feeling, and asking questions like a journalist. At that time, I deeply felt that China is not only a country with beautiful scenery and moving culture, but also a three-dimensional and multi-faceted country, which needs and deserves people's time to really get closer and understand. Therefore, in the process of writing the script, I always have a sense of awe. After finishing the script, I often asked the Chinese screenwriters I worked with: "Is there anything wrong in the script?" Is there anything that doesn't match the facts? "In the process of repeated communication and learning, we have polished a good script.

Before and after the filming, I visited many parts of China and stayed in Beijing and Guangxi for a long time. Beijing is modern and solemn, and Guangxi has beautiful landscapes, which is really a very beautiful and unforgettable time in my life.

The filming of Nightingale received tremendous support from the cast and technical teams. In the end, we brought to the screen the story of the grandson and grandson on the way back to their hometown to bridge the barrier and bring warm changes to the whole family. This is a native Chinese story, from the actors, the story to the shooting location are full of original Chinese characteristics, while adopting a more acceptable presentation and narrative method for Western audiences, making it easier for them to understand the story and understand this distant country.

I am extremely honored that Nightingale is loved by French and Chinese audiences. For me, Nightingale is more than just a movie, it represents an amazing life experience, a memory that will never be remembered to this day. I miss China so much that I look forward to setting foot on that land again and meeting my friends there.

"Butterfly" and "Nightingale" that touched audiences from both countries

Before Nightingale, I directed the film Butterfly, which was released in 2002, 11 years before Nightingale. In fact, the resonance of "Nightingale" among French audiences is very similar to the emotional echo that "Butterfly" evoked in Chinese audiences: many Chinese friends told me that they were deeply moved by "Butterfly" many years ago, and the musical melody in the film still echoes in their hearts today. I often wonder: Why do Chinese audiences love Butterfly from France so much? Where is the similarity between "Butterfly" and "Nightingale", and the similarities between french and Chinese audiences?

The protagonists in "Butterfly" are grandfathers and granddaughters, one old and one small two characters are interesting, they are separated by a generation, but they get along like friends, sincere and warm grandparents and beautiful nature are integrated, touching countless audiences. The pattern of grandchildren in Butterfly is somewhat similar to that of grandchildren in Chinese society – parents are busy at work, children are often cared for by grandparents – which naturally resonates with Chinese audiences.

In "Nightingale", ren xing, the granddaughter who sees the buffalo screaming in fright, and in "Butterfly", Elisa holding the Isabelle butterfly in her hand and slowly releasing it... The little girl in the story seems to be shuttled through a fresh idyllic poem, and the innocence and childlike fun are integrated into the picturesque scenery, which makes the audience smile. Julian in "Butterfly", who initially had a strange temper and later taught others not to ignore the love around him, Zhu Zhigen, who was initially subtle and deep in "Nightingale", and later opened his heart... The old people in the story have undergone emotional and ideological changes, and the plot slowly advances like flowing water, resonating with the audience. Whether it is "Butterfly" or "Nightingale", it presents moving family affection and bright scenery in a delicate way, whether the actor is a Chinese face or a French face, whether the language is Chinese or French, it does not prevent the audience from feeling the sincere emotions in it.

Tell more stories that touch people's hearts

Nightingale is one of the films made after France and China signed a film co-production agreement in 2010. With the development of film production, transnational cooperation has become more and more common. On the one hand, film co-production has its advantages: it simplifies the process of transnational shooting and production and distribution, and practitioners can enjoy the film support policies of both countries, and can smoothly enter their respective film markets after the film is completed. However, on the other hand, co-production also has its difficulties, such as different language cultures, different working habits, etc., and market factors should not be underestimated.

China has a vast film market and a large consumer base made up mainly of young people. Worldwide, small-budget films occasionally succeed, but successful films are often "big-productions," and this is no exception for the Chinese film market. After Nightingale, I tried to advance several projects, but they didn't land. As things stand, it seems that it is difficult for foreign directors to find a subject that can meet the hearts of all kinds of moviegoers. So in most cases, we need to delineate a "priority group" and then make trade-offs.

In my opinion, this is not a big problem because everything depends on the story the creator wants to tell. After so many years in the film business, I often take family affection as the motif and turn my attention to the world of children, and there are often cute animals and beautiful scenery in the film. In my films, young children who have lost their mothers grow up with calves who are also motherless and come forward when the lives of "buddies" are threatened; lonely boys living on remote farms can be healed by the magical "Smile Circus" and sing songs like a natural sound... I like to use a fresh and cute way to convey delicate and moving emotions through these "small characters" and "small themes". I also believe that for children, good cinematic work can pass on the values that accompany them throughout their lives – that's what I believe, artistically, and morally.

During this time, I completed several scripts, one of which is called "The Children of Beluga Whales", which tells the story of a whale that washes up on the beach. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to communicate across borders and make films, I still hope that these scripts will be well presented, and I also hope to go to China again to shoot a film.

In the past 10 years, the Chinese film market has achieved great development and has a large number of outstanding filmmakers. When chatting with Chinese practitioners, I am often asked what I think of the Chinese film industry. In my opinion, we should create more space for small-budget films and make more "small and beautiful" films. They don't necessarily have grand themes or ornate productions, but they do have the qualities that ring the heartstrings of the audience in the subtleties, and China has its advantages – in terms of subject matter, there are endless treasures to be unearthed. I believe that lowering expectations of commercial profitability and increasing consideration of film art standards will help the film industry to develop more positively and in a more balanced way.

In my opinion, both French and Chinese film stories are good at presenting delicate and complex emotions, which is an important cultural basis for cooperation between filmmakers in the two countries. The small and medium-cost literary and artistic themes or realist themes are the advantages of co-production films between the two countries, and in the future, they can expand greater cooperation space and present more touching stories to audiences from all over the world.

(The author is a French film director, who has filmed the movies "Butterfly", "Nightingale", "Magic Caravan", "President and Cow", etc., interviewed by Liu Lingling)